When making your own shelving, keep in mind that the key to your success will be having all of the proper materials and plans laid out well in advance. You can find a plan for a shelf of any size on the Internet. Take time to review the options available to you in terms of height, width, depth and design before beginning your building. Also, keep in mind that you can build shelves with drawers and cabinets without much difficulty, as long as you take the time to investigate methods to find the one that is easiest for you to do.
Here are some simple steps to help you build your own shelving.
1. Measure the area you would like to install the shelves in. This means measuring the height from the ground to the ceiling (or the height that you would like the shelves to stop.) measure the width of the area into which the shelves will go. Finally, measure the depth of the shelves. Once all measurements are taken, you are ready to establish a plan.
2. The plan will be based off of your measurements and will be built to suit your needs. You can find some basic plans online, but you will most likely have to tweak the size coordinates to fit your specifications. The plan is important because it will help you to determine the sizes of the wood that you need for the shelves.
3. Purchase the wood sizes. They should be pre-specified. You can usually get your home improvement store to cut the wood to your own specifications in the store so that you can do less work at your home. Once the wood is cut, you are on your way to building your shelf.
4. Purchase nails and screws. Locate a hammer and get wall hooks that will help your shelf stay attached to the wall. The wall hooks will help to ensure that your shelf does not fall over.
5. The basic shelf involves two sides that hold up the individuals shelves. In order to create your two sides, simple nail the sides into the wall at opposite ends. These two sides will then require shelf hooks. The shelf hooks can be screwed into the side in a mirror pattern up the length of the shelf.
6. Once the L-hooks are screwed into the wall, simple place the shelf board onto the L-hooks. You now have a basic shelf.
7. Because the built-in shelf is generally a bit more dressy than simple wood nailed into a wall, you will want to add decorations, such as trimming to the shelf. These decorations can be as simple as a solid lip, or they can be as extensive as ornate decorations. In any event, the decorations are what make your shelf a truly unique built-in shelf as opposed to a simple bolted-in shelf.
8. You can also add flair, such as recessed lighting and a speaker system to your shelves to make them feel very dressy and customized. Investigate your options by spending a few hours in your home improvement store.